Wednesday, February 24, 2021
Trailblazer Nancy Randolph Davis’ legacy lives on By Ryleigh Clem
Adam Luther
February is nationally recognized as Black History Month, a time to celebrate Black voices and remember how they have shaped history. In 1949, Nancy Randolph Davis made history when she became the first AfricanAmerican student admitted to OSU, formerly Oklahoma A&M College. Davis had just obtained her bachelor’s degree in home economics from Langston University, and she sought to continue her education in her home state. At the time, it was almost unheard of for a person of color to attend a nonBlack university. Davis was encouraged by a recent Supreme Court case, which allowed Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher to pursue a law degree at the University of Oklahoma. This court decision gave Davis the push she needed to seek her master’s degree. “It was not boldness on my part, and it was a struggle, but I was never afraid. God used me as a vessel at that time, and it is so worth it to know my granddaughter and others can choose to go anywhere,” said Davis. After being admitted to
the school, Davis was not permitted inside the classroom. She had to sit outside until enough students requested she be allowed in. Davis grew up with her parents and four siblings. Her father was the one who encouraged her to continue her education at Oklahoma A&M. He was no stranger to racial injustice, and he had the desire for each of his children to make the most of the opportunities given to them. After graduating from Oklahoma A&M in 1952, Davis taught school for 43 years — 20 at Dunjee High School and 23 at Star Spencer High School. She married Fred C. Davis, who was also an educator. Davis has always been a promoter of social justice, taking an active part in the Civil Rights Movement in Oklahoma. She would take her daughter picketing with her, much to the dismay of some of her friends. She also served as an adviser for the Oklahoma City NAACP. Davis never shied away from taking a stand, especially in the name of progression. Davis’s life continues to See Trailblazer on pg. 2
Beating the Bears OSU has its toughest challenge saved for last By Sam Hutchens Breaking a record isn’t supposed to be easy, but for the Cowgirls, it cannot get much harder. Oklahoma State will have one more chance on Wednesday to extend its singleseason conference win record — this time to 14. That opportunity comes on the road against No. 7 Baylor. “Baylor is going to win it’s umpteenth conference championship in a row,” coach Jim Littell said. “They are a daunting challenge, as they are every year.” Road teams have not fared well in Waco this season. Baylor is 9-1 when playing at home, with its one de-
feat coming by a mere four points at the hands of Iowa State. Junior point guard Ja’mee Asberry said defeating Baylor in Waco, which has outscored its opponents by over 23 points per game in the last eight games, is the hardest thing a Big 12 team can do. “I really applaud Iowa State that they did it,” Asberry said. Baylor beat OSU 77-58 earlier this season in Stillwater. The rematch in OSU’s final regular season game will be difficult, but there is hope for the Cowgirls. Although Littell has only beaten Baylor once in his 10 seasons as the OSU head coach, no team in Cowgirl history has even won more conference games than this current group. The Cowgirls have won eight of their last nine games — includ-
ing one against the same Cyclone team that felled Baylor — and have had the back half of the season to build team continuity. “We know each other’s weaknesses and strengths, which really helps a lot,” senior forward Natasha Mack said. “The chemistry is there.” Littell said after OSU beat ISU on Saturday that his team had grown a lot, and that the victory, which gave their 13th conference win was “as big of a win as we’ve gotten in here in a long, long time.” Even though there might never be a great time to take on the green and gold juggernaut that Baylor coach Kim Mulkey has assembled, the Cowgirls are playing excellent basketball. For the team that has already broken records, a win in Waco would be an excellent
Bruce Waterfield Natasha Mack is fouled on a shot attempt during Oklahoma State’s game vs Baylor on Wednesday, January 20, 2021, at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
end to their regular season. “That would be great win for us,”
Mack said. “We would be ecstatic.” sports.ed@ocolly.com
Page 2 Wednesday, February 24, 2021
News
Trailblazer Continued from pg. 1
inspire students today who must overcome obstacles to seek education, though that was not her initial intention. “I didn’t know I was a trailblazer; I just wanted to earn a master’s degree in my home state.” Her story has had an impact on OSU students Kamari Willis and Princess Berry. “Randolph was brave enough
to make the first step. Her perseverance reminds me that no matter how hard things may seem, I can always rise to the occasion and excel,” said Willis, who serves as secretary of the African-American sorority Zeta Phi Beta. “Nancy just proves that no matter the skin color, we are just as talented and just as smart to go to a university and graduate. We just have to work 10 times harder just
to prove we belong here. She gives me the courage and the strength to keep going and fight [until] I graduate,” said Berry. On Oct. 23, 2020, the OSU A&M Board of Regents moved to rename the Human Sciences and Human Sciences West buildings to honor Davis. A life-size statue of her sits in front of the building now called Nancy Randolph Davis.
Stillwater COVID-19 update: Feb. 23
news.ed@ocolly.com By Ryan Novozinsky The official Oklahoma coronavirus database on Tuesday reported 150 active cases in Stillwater. These new numbers bring the city’s total cases to 5,936 with 23 deaths and 5,763 recoveries. On the state level, the health department reported 359 new cases, bringing the total confirmed positive cases to 420,212. The state also
reported 24 new COVID-19 related deaths, bringing the total to 4,227. There have been 401,945 total recoveries since COVID reached Oklahoma in March. Oklahoma state officials are encouraging Oklahomans to wash their hands, stay away from sick individuals and avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. The virus is primarily spread from person-to-person with symptoms usually appearing two to 14 days after exposure. The most common symptoms of the coronavirus are fever, cough, shortness of breath or loss of taste or smell. news.ed@ocolly.com
Zach Hake
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Courtesy of Davis family
GOOD MONEY
LET THE PEOPLES PRAISE YOU, O GOD! Let the peoples praise you, O God; Let all the people praise you. Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, our own God, shall blessed us. God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.” (Ps.67:5-7) Praise and thanksgiving are amazing actions when pertaining to God. It is so easy to think on the negative things of life; to dwell on the things that seem to be wrong in our personal life or in the world. The Bible continually points us to God and his ways, and encourages us to trust him and take him at his promises. We are even told to rejoice in our weaknesses that his power might be in our lives. (2 Co.12:9) This was the same challenge to those who walked with God before us, who trusted God and saw him work in so many ways. The
challenge is to trust God with all our hearts. I remember, years ago, that someone challenged me “Praise in faith at work.” Praise and thanksgiving are the practical ways of expressing our faith. An older minister shared some insight that seemed so simple at the time. I had asked him; “When you have a problem and you cannot figure out an answer or you have a question in the Bible and the solution seems to escape you, what do you do?” I was expecting some complicated answer. He said, “I shut my Bible, go to some quiet place and worship and praise the Lord.” In a church service, years ago, someone shared something that I have been reminded of many times. “You will come through a trial much faster if you will truly praise the Lord.”
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Page 4 Wednesday, February 24, 2021
Lifestyle
A big OSU Family Okstate Theatre Department Highlight By Kryslin Housten Something special about being a new student is the amount of activity you see all around you on campus, from the hustling bundle of students to the many activities set up around you. One thing that caught my eye was the OSU Theatre Department. Knowing nothing about the theater community and seeing many of their ads around campus, I set out on a job. First, I wanted to figure out why the theatre department’s signature phrase is about showing students they belong with them. After talking to the head of theatre, I got my answers. First things first, what was happening in the department? David Kersnar, head of theatre, agreed to a meeting. One of the most important things he said was that no matter who you are or what you believe, we want you! This really inspired me to want to show others that this is a family, a huge one, one that has ups and downs. How had the pandemic changed life around them, and what did they do to improve the theater experience? From the start of Covid, times hit hard with losses as great as $15 thousand and no more performances. Everything that was already planned out was gone, so they took a minute to breathe. Then started the many meetings about what was going to happen. After many meetings and talks they finally fingered Unsplash out how they were going to go
forward. They came up with new plays, many that could be adapted for Covid purposes. They turned one show into a radio series that is still airing this semester. They allowed for a more open-aired show, a show fully outside. To allow people to be comfortable while watching these performances. Kersnar said he’s most excited for their upcoming Shakespearean performance. “The Shakespeare one that is coming up [is] a comedy for all of us to have a moment to laugh,” Kersnar said. “[Laughter] can overcome anything. A lot of healing from the horrific things that have been done in the past, and theatre allows us to move forward” Another event going on in the theater world were auditions, which happened on January 20th through the 22nd. Even though those auditions are in the past, they are always looking for help in any way, Kersnar said. Kersnar said they look for someone that will try even when they fail when holding auditions. They want people that don’t give up, and they just want you to be yourself, he said. All in all, there is always something happening in the world of theatre from auditions to radio shows to major performances. Simply go to their website https://theatre.okstate. edu you can find out so much more about how to get involved and a part of this big OSU family. entertainment.ed@ocolly.com
Beating the Bears OSU has its toughest challenge saved for last By Sam Hutchens Breaking a record isn’t supposed to be easy, but for the Cowgirls, it cannot get much harder. Oklahoma State will have one more chance on Wednesday to extend its singleseason conference win record — this time to 14. That opportunity comes on the road against No. 7 Baylor. “Baylor is going to win it’s umpteenth conference championship in a row,” coach Jim Littell said. “They are a daunting challenge, as they are every year.” Road teams have not fared well in Waco this season. Baylor is 9-1 when playing at home, with its one de-
feat coming by a mere four points at the hands of Iowa State. Junior point guard Ja’mee Asberry said defeating Baylor in Waco, which has outscored its opponents by over 23 points per game in the last eight games, is the hardest thing a Big 12 team can do. “I really applaud Iowa State that they did it,” Asberry said. Baylor beat OSU 77-58 earlier this season in Stillwater. The rematch in OSU’s final regular season game will be difficult, but there is hope for the Cowgirls. Although Littell has only beaten Baylor once in his 10 seasons as the OSU head coach, no team in Cowgirl history has even won more conference games than this current group. The Cowgirls have won eight of their last nine games — includ-
ing one against the same Cyclone team that felled Baylor — and have had the back half of the season to build team continuity. “We know each other’s weaknesses and strengths, which really helps a lot,” senior forward Natasha Mack said. “The chemistry is there.” Littell said after OSU beat ISU on Saturday that his team had grown a lot, and that the victory, which gave their 13th conference win was “as big of a win as we’ve gotten in here in a long, long time.” Even though there might never be a great time to take on the green and gold juggernaut that Baylor coach Kim Mulkey has assembled, the Cowgirls are playing excellent basketball. For the team that has already broken records, a win in Waco would be an excellent
Bruce Waterfield Natasha Mack is fouled on a shot attempt during Oklahoma State’s game vs Baylor on Wednesday, January 20, 2021, at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
end to their regular season. “That would be great win for us,”
Mack said. “We would be ecstatic.” sports.ed@ocolly.com
FOR RELEASE FEBRUARY 24, 2021
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Applications for both Summer Semester 2021 and Fall Semester 2021 Editor-in-Chief of The O’Colly will be accepted from now thru Tuesday, March 9, 2021. Applications are now available in the Paul Miller Journalism and Broadcasting Building, room 106. Applicants must return their completed applications to room 106 no later than 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 9, 2021. This application process involves two separate positions; EIC for Summer and EIC for Fall. Applicants can apply for one or the other, or both positions. Be sure to indicate which position(s) you wish to be considered for on the application form. To be eligible for Editor-In-Chief, the applicant must be a student on the Stillwater campus of Oklahoma State University, be in good academic standing (i.e., not on academic probation), have a grade point average of not less than 2.5, and have completed at least 60 hours toward a degree. Applicant must show evidence of having worked one semester writing for The O’Colly. Students serving as an Editor-in-Chief may take up to 6 credit hours of independent study in consultation and approval of their major advisor. An internship on a newspaper in a newsroom capacity may be substituted for one semester of service on The O’Colly. The internship must meet the requirements of the School of Media and Strategic Communications’ current internship course.
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Daily Horoscope Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency Linda Black Horoscopes
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis ACROSS 1 It may break and crash 5 It has an eye on TV 8 Slightly open victim of irrigation projects 13 Water park feature 15 Heavyweight fight? 16 Capital founded by Pizarro 17 They may draft briefs 19 Civil War topper 20 Tattoo joint? 21 Folklore monster 22 Move furtively 24 “Breaking Bad” org. 25 Verne who created Nemo 26 Dodger rival of shortstop Rizzuto 28 Bucket of bolts 30 “Evita” narrator 32 Gummy bear ingredient 34 YouTube clip, for short 37 Prefix with call 39 Meek 40 Tubes on the table 41 Sonicare rival 43 Get into a stew? 44 One who digs hard rock 45 Wedding reception hiree 47 Pressing 49 Catch a bug, say 50 Energy unit 51 Loitering ... or how 3-, 5-, 7- and 9-Down might be seen? 58 Magic prop 59 Tech company that became a verb 60 Source designer 63 Absurd 64 Swear to be true 65 Tap serving __ National Seashore 67 Cook Islands export
2/24/21
By Bryant White
DOWN Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved 1 Constitutional events 2 Disney mermaid 3 Blood-drinking mammal 4 “Seinfeld” regular 5 High light 6 Delta of “Designing Women” 7 Spelunking sight 8 Try to date 9 Support for Tarzan 10 Love, to Luigi 11 Judicial attire 13 One working on bks. 14 Linguistic suffix 23 It may be tapped ©2021 Tribune Content Agency, LLC 2/24/21 25 Fifth of 12, 36 Gossip 52 Stud fee, alphabetically: 38 Poisonous maybe Abbr. flowering shrub 53 Hawaiian goose 27 Place for 40 Terraced structure 54 Anatomy book shooting stars? of ancient author Henry 29 Free (of) Mesopotamia 55 Five-star 42 Naval lockup 56 Smoked salmon holes 57 Cuckoo clock 31 Dance that may 44 Surrealist Joan 46 Magical potion feature involve a chair 48 Persian king 33 Reddit Q&A 58 Baseball glove session 51 “__ Trigger”: part 35 Cal.-to-Fla. Bugs Bunny 61 Vegas snake cartoon highway eyes
Today’s Birthday (02/24/21). You’re especially intuitive and creative this year. Disciplined practices and planning builds satisfying accomplishments. Follow a dream. Make a springtime career shift before home renovation or relocation this summer. Resolve a communication breakdown next winter for professional breakthroughs. Pursue spiritual and personal growth. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is an 8 — Despite the obvious challenges, a romantic opportunity has long-term potential. Energize a passionate cause. Invite participation. Have fun together. Jump on in; the Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is a 7 — Find long-term solutions for a domestic mess. Housekeeping and renovation projects satisfy. Make a change to your home scenery. Consider color and lighting. Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is a 7 — What
Level 1
2
3
4
mind. Connect with a larger conversation. Share discoveries. Make a convincing case. Push for what you love. Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is an 8 — Hunt for hidden gold. Long-term goals seem surprisingly within reach. Find unexpected opportunities. Make deals, agreements and promises. Sign contracts. A push now pays off. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is a 9 — In spite of personal doubt or worries, an unexpected opportunity offers you a straight shot to realize a long-term goal or dream. Push forward boldly. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is a 6 — Carve out private time to rebalance and weigh your options. Consider long-term dreams and visions. Prepare for what’s next. Strategize and reinforce structures. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is an 8 — Discover hidden opportunities with short deadlines. You can make it with a push. Teamwork goes the distance. Aim for the moon. Pull together. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is an 8 — Handle
trusted advisors. Advance on a long-term goal. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is a 7 — Broaden your educational horizons. Discover something new from far away. Research expert views. them. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is an 8 — Collaborate for shared accounts. Clean messes. Build through careful shopping. Replenish reserves. Pull together for common gain. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is a 9 — At
Coordinate for shared gain. Strategize for long-term Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is an 8 — There’s another rush job coming in. Negotiate, don’t demand. Gentle, steady pressure works better than force. Make promises, goals and commitments. Focus on performance.
2/24/21 Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk
Page 8 Wednesday, February 24, 2021
sports
Bedlam pairs 2 win streaks against each other
Avery Anderson passes the ball during Oklahoma State Men’s Basketball victory over Arkansas on January 30, 2021 at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
By Chris Becker After Oklahoma State’s overtime upset win over No. 18 Texas Tech, coach Mike Boynton ran into the Cowboys locker room, jumped onto a chair
and was showered with Propel. That scene describes the emotions and energy the Cowboys are carrying into a date with in-state rival Oklahoma on Saturday for the first of two Bedlam meetings in a three-day stretch. “A whole lot of (momentum built from the win),” Avery Anderson said. “It brings
a lot of energy to the team, and now that it’s Bedlam, it’s going to bring even more energy. The preparation has to start in practice, and we’ll take it dayby-day.” Boynton doesn’t want the team to be caught up in the win because the Sooners present a different kind of test for the Cowboys. The week of
preparation leading up to the highly-awaited Bedlam matchup will be crucial to the performance when the game rolls around. “Momentum isn’t a word that I love, I get the sentiment, but your momentum is only as good as your preparation,” Boynton said. “What we’ve got to do is understand (is) Saturday’s game will be much different than (Monday’s).” In the state, Bedlam has even more of an importance, especially for Kalib Boone, who grew up watching both teams play. Boone, who is in the midst of a breakout season, knows this game is even bigger than a normal Big 12 game. “These two games are going to mean a lot, honestly,” Boone said. “That game means a lot more to me than anything. I play this game for coach (Eddie) Sutton because I know how much he loves this rivalry.” Boone has made an impact on the glass for the Cowboys, especially in key moments. He’s grabbed game-sealing rebounds against Texas and crucial rebounds down the stretch in overtime in Monday’s win over Texas Tech. In a game with
heightened importance for him, and an OU team that plays smaller such as the Cowboys, Boone’s rebounding could play a crucial role in the Bedlam outcome. “Honestly, it’s just me playing hard these last few games,” Boone said. “My success, like on the glass and everything, it’s just me playing hard and putting myself in position to rebound. I trust my teammates are going to make the right plays and everything, I always believe they’re going to make the shot, but then again, I have to put myself in position just in case.” The Sooners enter Bedlam as one of the hottest teams in the country led by Coach of the Year Candidate Lon Kruger. The Sooners have won eight of their last nine games and have skyrocketed up to No. 7 in the AP poll. “They’ve played really well over the last five or six weeks, so it’s going to be a battle,” Boynton said. “We have to be our best in order to give ourselves a chance. We’ve got a lot of respect for them, but we don’t like them, so we’re going to go down there and compete at a high level.” sports.ed@ocolly.com